Claws and Effect (Small Town Shifters Book 1) Read online

  "He's a little out of shape," Tucker mused. "Better safe than sorry. He's putting himself in danger to protect us. I'm not going to make it harder on him than it needs to be."

  "Don't you shift?" She wasn't nervous, exactly, but he was making her feel worried.

  "I can, but I'm tired. That thing already took a crack at me, and I'm not ready for round two."

  "So, you got your ass kicked?" She stepped back and looked at the trees around them. They probably weren't even enough to slow this thing down. It was snapping at the saber-tooth, but if it knocked the tiger out, it would come after her again. "Why is this happening? I thought shifters didn't attack humans."

  "I don't think the scorpion was after you, exactly. I think you happened to get in its way."

  "Why doesn't it leave, then? If we stop attacking it, maybe it will go away on its own."

  "Shh." He was studying the sky intently.

  Joseline pulled her coat tighter around her. "What? Do you hear something else?"

  She was ready to run. She was tired too, but if her life depended on it, she knew she could keep running. She wished this was done already. If the scorpion thing was going to get her, it was going to. This whole night had gotten out of hand. She wasn't feeling much of anything, but it was all so surreal.

  "Come on." He pulled her behind the closest tree and crouched down, pushing her behind him.

  "What is it?" She studied the sky and strained her ears for any out-of-place sound. "Do you hear something? Are there more shifters coming for us?"

  "Coming to help us." Tuck pointed up. "My buddies are here."

  She followed his gaze, but she didn't see anything at first. The sky was all black and full of endless clouds. But as she watched the clouds, shapes emerged. Big shapes with wings.

  Shaking, she pushed closer into Tucker's side. The giant saber-toothed tiger was still keeping the scorpion in place, but now it was widening the area, giving the giant creature more and more space. The scorpion wasn't charging forward; it was hanging back and pinching at the air. Joseline wondered if it sensed whatever was coming.

  The shapes from the clouds were getting clearer. Dragons. Two dragons. One was red, and the other a dark gold. They were massive. She wanted to bolt, but Tucker kept his arm tight around her. Suddenly, everything went white. She was glad Tucker had his arm around her. She was temporarily blinded.

  "These are friends."

  "Wasn't the scorpion your friend too?"

  Her teeth were chattering. Dragons? Those things weren't even supposed to be real. It was a rumor she'd never put much stock in. But now she could see with her own eyes that they were very real. What if they went crazy too? The scorpion had almost ended her. These things could take her out with only one flick of their giant tails.

  The red one landed with a heavy thud between the saber-toothed tiger and the scorpion. The gold one landed behind the saber-toothed tiger. Joseline was surprised that the saber-tooth was almost at eye level with the dragons. She'd known it was big, but this only underscored it.

  "Why is the tiger thing so big?"

  "Rhett? He's old-school. He isn't a panther. Saber-tooth tiger."

  That was why he didn't shift much. She'd never seen a dragon before, either. The three were now working in concert. They were surrounding the scorpion. "You said this guy is your friend? They aren't going to hurt him, are they?"

  "Not if they don't have to," Tucker said grimly.

  It was still a human under there. If she was having the worst day ever, she hoped her friends wouldn't show up and kill her. And she for sure didn't want to see them kill the scorpion. Would it turn back to a human after it was dead? Running the scenarios made her shiver with fear.

  The gold dragon had maneuvered his way behind the scorpion, and the saber-toothed tiger was now to the far right with the red dragon to his left. The scorpion was turning in circles and snapping its claws and tail at all three. It was spinning faster and faster but wasn't doing any damage.

  The red dragon reared up on its hind legs and roared. The ground under Joseline's feet shook, and her hand flew to her mouth. "My God!"

  Tucker squeezed her. "Don't worry. They won't hurt him."

  She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't turn away. The scorpion faced the red dragon and lunged, but it was no use. The red dragon descended on the scorpion like a cloud of poison. Its movement was fluid and confident. It was terrifying.

  The saber-tooth tiger roared and dove for one for the legs. The scorpion snapped a claw out, but the red dragon pounced on it.

  There wasn't much more for it to do. It couldn't move without hurting itself. Joseline could barely watch as the creature struggled and kept crying out in pain.

  "When will it be over?" she whispered.

  "He'll tire himself out soon. It won't be able to go on much longer," Tucker promised.

  The scorpion tried to beat the red dragon with its free claw, but it was no use. Its skin looked leathery and very tough. Not as hard as the scorpion shell, but it was enough to keep it protected from the pinching. The scorpion was moving much slower now. It made a final cry of pain, and then it was gone.

  "What?" Joseline moved away from Tucker. "Where did it go?"

  Tucker let out a shaky breath. "He shifted back. Come on. We're safe now."

  On wobbly legs, Joseline followed him to the circle of shifters. Sure enough, in the middle of the three was a naked, unconscious man. He was much smaller than she had expected. He had messy brown hair and creamy white skin. He looked so vulnerable in the middle of all the giant shifters.

  Tuck took off his shirt and covered the man. "Murry?"

  The man didn't move. Joseline crouched next to the two of them. "Is he still alive?"

  Tucker nodded. "But he's out cold. We're going to need an ambulance."

  The other three finally shifted back to human. All were men, and they too were naked. Joseline was suddenly aware that she was surrounded by four very naked and very attractive men.

  The red dragon changed into a gorgeous blond man. He and the gold dragon both looked young, younger even than Tucker. She would say that Tucker looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. These two looked like they were barely out of college. Even though she was only twenty-eight, they looked like kids to her. Still, they had model good looks. They were striking, with their strong jawlines and perfectly muscled bodies.

  But it was the saber-toothed tiger that took her breath away. It was her Rhett from the Speed Mating app, and he was even better-looking in person. Impossibly tall, with a gorgeous face and intense eyes. She swore he was looking into her very soul.

  "Hi." She smiled at him. He had to recognize her.

  "We can't call an ambulance." He tore his eyes from her and spoke to Tucker over her head.

  "Agreed," the red dragon said.

  "He needs help," she said.

  All four men looked at her. She tightened the belt on her coat, remembering that she was only wearing black lingerie underneath it. She'd been going to a booty call, for crying out loud. She hadn't known she was going to be drawn into a shifter conflict, but she wasn't going to be intimidated. This man needed help, and she wasn't going to let them talk her out of it.

  The red and gold dragons looked at each other. The gold one nodded, and then the red dragon stepped in front of her. "What did you say your name was?"

  "I'm Joseline Herza. And who are you?" She raised her chin and met his gaze. She'd been up against much tougher men in her job. If she could convince a hoarder that they needed to get rid of a decade-old newspaper, she could convince these guys to help their friend.

  The red dragon looked at her without speaking, and there was a familiar tingle behind her eyes. She blinked three times until it disappeared, and then laughed. "Are you trying to use magic on me?"

  The dragon's eyebrows shot up, and he looked at his friend. "I think we're going to have a problem."

  Chapter Five

  Rhett moved closer t
o the woman, Joseline. She was beautiful. She was small, but she was tough. She'd just been attacked by this scorpion, and she was still arguing to help him against two dragons and a saber-toothed tiger. Most humans wouldn't even be able to stand in their presence without shaking, and she looked as cool as a cucumber. She had just laughed at Knox when he tried to use magic. Who was this woman?

  "We can't call an ambulance," he told her. "This is a shifter matter, and other humans will only complicate things."

  The last thing he needed was for this to get out. A crazed scorpion? That would be great for selling newspapers, but it would put his town in danger. The authorities would come, and they wouldn't leave until they'd figured out what was going on. He wanted to know too, but he wanted to deal with it in the community. Who knew what the humans would do to him. They needed to nip this matter in the bud.

  "Nonsense." She looked at her car. "Things are different now. The hospitals around here have shifter doctors. They'll be able to help him."

  "That isn't the problem," Knox told her, then he turned to Rhett. "Can I speak to you over here for a moment?"

  "Sure." Rhett looked at Hayes, who shook his head. One of them had to stay with the woman. Rhett was sure she would move for her phone as soon as they were distracted for a moment.

  To be fair, he was already distracted. She was gorgeous, and his animal was going crazy. It had been a long time since he'd bedded a beautiful woman. Maybe he should look into that Speed Mating thing. This wasn't the time for it, but his animal didn't want to leave the woman's side. Give the animal an inch and it would take a mile. This was why he didn't shift often. It was going to mess with his mind for weeks.

  He followed Knox and Tuck to a spot a few hundred feet from Hayes and the woman.

  "Did you get her name?" Knox asked Tuck.

  He nodded. "Joseline Herza."

  "What was she doing out here?" Knox demanded.

  "She says she was going to visit a friend."

  Knox frowned. "You think she was telling the truth? If she has friends here, it will make things more difficult for us."

  "You planning on throwing her in the river?" Rhett joked. For young guys, the dragons were intense. They had little sense of humor.

  "Not unless we have to. Magic isn't working on her. We only have a few more options before we have to get serious."

  "Hold on a minute," Rhett growled. "We aren't going to hurt any human. Not happening in my territory."

  Knox trained his dark brown eyes on him. "Then we'll take her to our town."

  Rhett was speechless. Kids these days. He was an ancient shifter, an old-timer. And this young dragon thought he was going to push him around and take humans out of his territory to hurt?

  "Why don't you try it? I dare you." Rhett let his fangs slip out slowly.

  Knox's pupils elongated, and his eyes turned a deep yellow.

  Tucker stepped between them and put a hand on each of their chests. "I have a much easier solution to the problem. I'll seduce her."

  Knox hissed. "Now is not the time to try to get laid, Tuck."

  "I'm not doing this to get laid. I'm taking one for the team. She'll be more pliable after spending a night with me. By the morning, she won't remember any of this."

  Rhett had to laugh. "Taking one for the team? Sure. Sleeping with a beautiful woman for all of us. Thanks, Tuck."

  "Hey, I can't help that she's beautiful," Tuck smirked. "But it'll take care of the problem, won't it?"

  "If you can convince her to come home with you, possibly." Knox looked at the woman. "I'm not entirely sure she'll go for it."

  "I've never struck out before." Tuck flexed and pushed his hair off his face.

  A light rain had begun to fall. Rhett turned to look at the human woman, Joseline, standing with Hayes. Her arms were crossed under her ample chest, and she wasn't saying much. Hayes was one of the better ones, but she didn't seem interested in him at all. Maybe she was on her way to meet a boyfriend. That would complicate things.

  "You know if she's single?" he asked Tuck.

  "I guess I'll find out."

  Knox sighed. "Really? You want us to agree to this plan when you don't even know if she's available?"

  "It's better to try than your idea," Tuck snapped. "I'd prefer to keep things civil between us and Rhett, wouldn't you?"

  Knox nodded sharply. "Fine. Let's try it."

  There was a tug deep inside Rhett as Tuck walked toward the pair. He knew that gait. Tuck was getting into character. He was gearing up to put on a charm offensive. He was going to sweep that human off her feet and into his bed.

  And that pissed Rhett off. He didn't know why, but the muscles in his face pulled tight in a deep frown. His heart sped up, and his animal pushed against the barrier in his mind. It wanted out.

  Who was this cocky dragon? If the woman needed to be seduced, why not him? He was just as appealing as this young pup. Hell, maybe even more so, since he had a few more tricks in his bag. Tuck might be the one getting the most play now, but back in his prime, Rhett would have run circles around him.

  But this wasn't his prime, he reminded himself, and this wasn't about him. He needed to protect his town, and the only way to do that was to get the human out of here as quickly as possible and also to keep her quiet. If Tuck could get the job done, more power to him. Rhett's tiger hated the idea, but it was better than the alternative.

  ***

  "What did you say your name was, again?" Joseline asked the man next to her. The naked man. Who wasn't saying anything. This whole thing was becoming even more dangerous than when the scorpion was after her.

  He stared at her with his emotionless green eyes. Finally, he sighed. "Hayes."

  "Are you friends with Murry?" There was no way she would be able to outrun any one of these guys, and she didn't want to try. They had tried to use magic on her. They wanted her to forget this whole thing, so there was a good chance that if she tried to run, they would come after her.

  Rhett and Tuck seemed nice enough, but these other two seemed off. She didn't think they wanted to hurt her, but something told her they wouldn't be sad if they had to. They were cold. She'd been standing next to this guy for at least five minutes, and he'd only just now told her his name. He just stared at her impassively. He was guarding her like one of those guys outside of Buckingham Palace in England. Except instead of a big hat, he had a big... Well, a big everything.

  It would have been more awkward for her if it hadn't been cold and raining. His impressiveness was rendered a little less than normal thanks to the cold, and she appreciated that. It was already impossible to know where to keep her eyes while he wasn't talking to her. Again, they had lapsed into silence even though she'd asked him a direct question. All she needed was a dang yes or no.

  "Hayes? Are you friends with the scorpion? Do you know him?" she tried again.

  His jaw twitched, and he frowned. "I do know him."

  "Okay then, do you not care about him at all?"

  He sighed.

  "Stop sighing and say something!" She pushed him lightly. "Sighing isn't saying anything. Come on. Work with me."

  "Is my buddy Hayes getting the best of you?"

  Tuck closed the distance between them, eyes on her the whole time. "He won't talk to me."

  "Of course not. He's the strong, silent type. Big emphasis on the silent part." He smiled and took her by the hand. "Why don't you come and talk with me for a second?"

  She wasn't about to argue. He'd been so nice to her this whole time. She doubted he'd do anything that would hurt her or try to use magic to wipe her mind.

  He led her a few feet away as Hayes followed them with no expression on his face.

  "That man is starting to creep me out," Joseline muttered. "Is he some kind of robot?"

  "He's not an emotional man," Tuck said. "But enough about him. I want to talk about us."

  "Us?" Joseline raised an eyebrow. She'd come here to meet Rhett. She wondered why he was letting his frie
nd talk to her alone. Was he trying to hide that he was out here to meet her? Was he no longer interested now that he'd seen her in person?

  Tuck put an arm around her shoulder. "Yes, us. I'm really drawn to you. You're a very beautiful woman. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to accompany me back to my home tonight? I know how scary this whole ordeal has been for you. It's been scary for me, too. I would love to have someone to hold tonight."

  His arm slipped to her waist, and he wrapped one of his giant hands around her hip. He smirked as he pulled her close against him. "What do you say?"

  Joseline giggled. She put her hand over her mouth to mask the sound. "I'm very flattered, really, but I'm here to meet a friend."

  And his line was so corny. He wanted someone to hold. Sure. And by "hold," he meant fuck. No, thanks. She'd already chosen her man for the night. If the saber-toothed tiger didn't want her, she was going home alone.

  Tuck's brow wrinkled. "What?"

  "I'm meeting someone." Joseline removed his hand from her waist and took a step back. "Thanks, but no thanks."

  Tuck put his hand on her again. "Are you sure? Whoever you're meeting, I'm sure I'm twice as good as they are."

  "Twice as good at holding me all night?" She shoved his hand off and took another step back. "Can I go now? Or are you guys going to try to stop me?"

  "Look, I'm asking you to leave with me."

  "And the lady said no," Rhett growled.

  Joseline startled. She hadn't even seen him walk up.

  "That's fine." Tuck's face reddened. "I was just asking."

  "You're going to need a ride and a tow," Rhett told her. "I'm going to take you back to my place now, and we'll have your car towed in the morning. If that's all right with you?"

  Joseline nodded. He did want her! He was just trying to play it safe.

  "How are you planning on getting her back to your place?" Hayes was at his side.

  "We're going to call a tow truck. If no one can come out tonight, I'll carry her back to town. Assuming she doesn't want to walk herself," Rhett said. "Thank you for your help, gentlemen. I'll leave Murry to you."

  Knox nodded. "We'll keep you updated."